Promoting Intern Resilience: Individual Chief Wellness Check-ins

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Resilience Training

Background:

• Intern year is a critical transition period for new clinical providers.
• Residents often experience declining empathy and increasing burnout during training.
• Mindfulness, stress management, and group discussions are known interventions for burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a curriculum aimed at normalizing the intern experience.
• To provide debriefing opportunities to enhance resilience and decrease burnout among interns.
• To assess the impact of a structured intervention on resident well-being.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-two interns participated in monthly one-on-one sessions with a chief resident.
• Sessions focused on personal, professional, and emotional well-being, including resilience exercises.
• Follow-up surveys at 6 and 12 months assessed interns' perceptions of the initiative.

Main Results:

• Response rates were 44% and 38% at 6 and 12 months, respectively.
• Interns reported high satisfaction with sessions for normalizing experiences (4.6-4.8/5) and stress management (4.0-4.3/5).
• Thematic analysis revealed benefits including normalization, a safe space for concerns, and mentorship.

Conclusions:

• Normalizing the intern experience and targeted resilience exercises positively impact resident satisfaction with well-being support.
• Chief residents can serve effectively in mentorship roles, benefiting both interns and themselves.
• This time-limited intervention demonstrates a feasible approach to improving resident resilience and reducing burnout.